Despair and Desperate
The state of being and the action of the feeling are acted upon with a feeling of Desperation = “The state of being or acting reckless“…
How do we get through this crisis? How do we calm things down? How do we change it back to a better time? What do we do?
Yes. There’s been another mass shooting. On the heels of yet another crazy act by someone who had no boundaries, and still on the heels of another unwarranted act by potential zealots for their religion.
Some would like to shut things down and retract within a shell of some sense of protection. Others want to go the opposite direction and arm everyone so the tragedy can be minimized.
Somewhere in the midst of the left and right there exists an answer. Desperate politicians garnering votes cry out their solution. And in the middle are all the innocents.
On one hand I see this as a sign of the present age we live in and these things will continue happening until a calamitous event draws us all together. Maybe Aliens.
On the other hand I see this as a sign of punishment for how far we’ve drifted from knowing God. Are we seeing just how bad things become when we drift? Perhaps.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; (Romans 1:28 NKJV)
The before and after of this verse describes human actions that cuts God out of the picture. They were discussed thousands of years ago, and are still part of life today.
Somewhere in my library is a book that I have enjoyed since my high school years, it has a title that is something like “Desperate Hours” … From my research I find it was a book, play and movie.
It is a story about escaped convicts on the run from the law. They are seeking a place to hide out until things cool down. They find a house and it looks to be just the right place. Although it’s occupied they believe they can control the situation until it’s safe to move on. They invade the house, take captives of everyone and try to lie low for a few days. Only, they don’t take account of the people in the house and how they will react to their captive situation. Eventually, the innocent create an environment of opportunity where they are able to create confusion among the law breakers and are eventually rescued from these “Desperate Hours…”
I have seen desperate people react to their circumstances and go off the deep end, while at the same time others who go through similar events and develop a backbone to stand up to the situation and come out the winner!
There was a time when a man broke into our house just as my son was coming home from school. I’m stranded downtown, needing a ride. Fear overrides the situation. NO ONE REMEMBERS to simply call 911! All is safe, finally. Then anger sets in. We go out to scout for the perpetrator, and find him… I accosted him and took a gun (stolen, unloaded and no ammunition) from him. He flees and the sheriff soon catches him. He had just gotten out of prison and robbed several homes around our house – even from his own mom…
Sometimes the victim mentality gets squashed into a corner and you come out ready to fight! Maybe this is what we need. Someone ready to stand up and fight!
How does one act one way, and another act the other way? There must be something internal to a person’s psyche that allows them to bend one way or another. Where is their moral compass? What is their guiding star? What’s working? What’s not? Has their compass shattered?
Maybe the better thing to think about: What do I do now, and how do I prepare to live in those desperate times that are sure to come?
Perhaps you have some answers to share… I suspect there are many ways of thinking this through.